The Music In Me
by GreenNinja23
Summary: These are the years they're supposed to remember forever and so far they're off to a pretty rough start. High school's hard enough without everyone singing all the time.
1. Chapter 1

**Edit: Okay so I've updated this story and actually started writing chapters for it again to kind of help me balance out my own personal angst and the angst from Saudade.**

 **Technically it's supposed to be a mix of That's 70s' Show and Glee and it IS but I've decided not to make it all about music as it seems less cheesy that way. There will still be plenty of cheese as there will still be singing but hopefully it's not too bad.**

 **This story is probably going to be more HumorXFriendship and slowly work to Romance but I promise there is still romance between our characters however slow building it might be.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the song or anything you recognize.**

 **Song used: Tarzan's "You'll Be In My Heart" "Slow" version**

* * *

Annabeth took a deep breath as she walked down the hall. Her books were firmly pressed into her chest and her smile was wide. She could hear the snickers of her peers as she passed them but she paid them no mind. Today was just too good of a day to be bothered with such trivial matters. She could see Nico and Piper waiting for her at her locker. With a small bounce in her step she approached them and grinned wider when they noticed her.

Her friends differed greatly in personality. Piper was strong and determined and her clothes were about as ordinary as could be. On a dangerous day she might wear a floral pattern. She didn't need fancy clothes to look beautiful; she did no matter what she was wearing. Annabeth had met her ten years ago when they were both seven. Their father's had worked together for a few short months and Piper had remembered her face when they met again on the playground. Piper had played kickball with Annabeth when the other kids wouldn't; she wasn't even that mad when Annabeth accidently kicked the ball at her temple.

Nico on the other hand, had always had a scary approach to him. Piper and Annabeth had met him five years ago when they were all twelve; he had been at the summer camp they were all attending. Annabeth dove after him when some kids pushed him into the lake and Piper had snuck out with him after hours to get pie from the kitchen. They've all been inseparable since. He was easily pushed around and mocked but his dark clothes and his dark eyes and ever present bored outlook kept most bullies at bay. He was almost terrifying when he glared but wonderfully handsome when he smiled.

"Someone's in a good mood!" Piper cheered sweetly. "What's going on?"

"I finally finished the final verse." Annabeth informed them both happily. "It's taken me forever but I've finally finished my song. Just in time for the talent show too!"

"Hey that's great!" Nico applauded lightly before pulling her into a hug. Piper followed after him and Annabeth bit her lip to control her smile. You could never look to happy at Goode High or you get a smoothie to the face. It was almost like the students here hated happiness. Annabeth pulled out her journal from her book bag and presented it to them both. As her two closest friends read over her work, Annabeth busied herself with her locker. She needed her math notebook today.

A few loud cheers down the hall made Annabeth look up. She bit her lip again when she noticed Percy Jackson and his friends walking down the hall. Percy was the star quarterback and head captain for the swim team. Annabeth had him in a few of her classes but she had never actually had a conversation with him because he was constantly surrounded by their peers. He was king around this school and she doubted he even knew it. Annabeth swooned when she saw his smile.

Percy was easy on the eyes; his sea green eyes were always wide and sparkled with excitement. His black hair would occasionally fall into his eyes and Annabeth knew she wasn't the only girl around who wanted to brush it away for him. His smile was always wide and infectious; she remembered when she first saw it. She walked straight into the lockers because it was so blinding.

As he grew closer she began to adjust her shirt. She bit her lip as she glanced down at her anchor sweater and ripped leggings. She rolled her eyes when she saw the pizza sauce stain on her left shoe; she wasn't the most presentable. Should she try to say something?

"Uh oh." Nico tssked teasingly. "Seems like someone found Percy."

Piper sighed and glanced down the hall to see the popular boys approaching. She leaned back against Annabeth's now closed locker door and crossed her arms irritably.

"I don't see the big deal." She grumbled to deaf ears. "So they can throw and catch a ball. Its not like they're curing world hunger every Friday."

"It's not the game I'm attracted to." Nico chirped. Annabeth rolled her eyes good naturedly and tried to find the nerve to say something to him today. He was getting closer.

"They aren't even that attractive and yet the women around this school treat them like gods." Piper said with her own eye roll. Jason Grace stopped as he passed her and took a few steps back to stand in front of her. Annabeth felt all the air leave her body. Percy Jackson was standing right next to her and she was almost positive her head strong friend was about to be smoothied.

"Want to repeat that McLean?" Jason taunted with an easy smirk. "I must be going deaf cause I swore I just heard you say we weren't attractive?"

"No, your hearing is just fine." Piper snapped. "I most certainly said you lunkhead football players were unattractive. Not only are you crude and mean but you're all stereotypical bullies. You pick on those smaller then you so you can feel like the big man on campus. You're pathetic."

"Um _okay_ Piper!" Nico shouted as he rushed to grab the angry girl. His attempts to pull her away were useless. Her eyes were still angrily locked onto Jason's. Annabeth flinched as she watched Jason's jaw tense.

"Seriously Piper." Annabeth said gently. She kept her eyes on her friend as she felt the stares of everyone in the hall. "Let's not do this okay? Don't pick a fight with this guy. He isn't worth it."

"You should listen to your loser friend McLean." Jason snapped. "You don't want to mess with me."

"Or what? You gonna throw another smoothie in my face?"

Jason glanced behind him and laughed. He licked his lips and shook his head.

" _I_ won't." He assured them easily. He pointed behind him and Annabeth didn't even have a second to realize what was happening. Quick as a flash, Jason side stepped out of the way and snickered as Leo Valdez threw a giant smoothie into their faces. Piper got the worst of it from her position and Annabeth shut her eyes tightly as her skin burned from the ice cold drink.

" _He_ will." Jason snickered. Annabeth popped open one eye to stare at Percy pleadingly, hoping for once he might actually do something to help. He barely met her eye before lowering his gaze to the floor. Annabeth quickly wiped her eyes dry of both oncoming tears and blue liquid. She could feel Nico drying off her shoulders. Jason and Leo shared a quick high five before letting their team mates tackle them with cheers. Annabeth continued to stare at Percy.

"You're just going to let them do this to us time after time?" Annabeth asked disbelievingly. She never thought her first words to Percy Jackson would be negative but she was tired of him not standing up to them; she was paying the price time and time again. When Percy glanced back at his friends and shrugged, Annabeth felt her shoulders slump in defeat.

"If it helps… I'm really sorry Annabel." Percy mumbled softly before dashing ahead to catch up with his friends. She never thought Percy's first words to her would sting so badly.

"My name's Annabeth." She whispered sadly to his retreating figure. She knew he couldn't hear her. Annabeth turned to Nico and sighed. He smiled at her comfortingly before offering her a small towel from his locker. They chose to ignore Piper's quiet fuming behind them and quickly dried off. Annabeth bit her lip as she took of her anchor sweater.

"I really liked this sweater." She moaned as she hung it up in her locker. Nico smiled uneasily and quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Sorry babe." He sneered as he glanced down at her top. "I know what just happened really sucked but that sweater deserved to be smoothied."

0~0~0~0~0

Jason moaned into her mouth as he gently pressed her up against the locked door. As he began to place light pepper kisses on her neck, she sighed. As much as she loved doing this with him, _being_ with him, Piper couldn't take much more. Her resolve was wearing thin and she felt it was about time she told him. She gently pushed Jason's shoulder and rolled her eyes when he ignored her. She pushed him a little harder and placed her hand on his chest so she could see his face.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked sweetly, his hands reaching up to cup her cheeks. Piper rolled her lips and wondered how he could be _so_ two faced. When it was just the two of them, Jason was the sweetest boy she had ever met but as soon as they were out in the open he was king of the assholes.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this." She mumbled lowly. Jason pulled her closer and kissed her lips quickly.

"Babe we have twenty minutes until free period ends. We have time."

Piper groaned in annoyance and once again pushed him away. Jason stared at her confused and she quickly took pity on him and reached down to intertwine their fingers.

"I meant you and me." She specified carefully. "I don't know if I should be with you anymore."

Jason pushed away from her to stare at her. Confusion and hurt swam through his perfect blue eyes and Piper wished she hadn't have said anything. She was in physical pain having him stare at her like that. He gently squeezed their fingers together and continued to stare at her; it was almost like he didn't really believe she had actually said what she did. Piper sighed.

"Jason…" She started regretfully but Jason quickly cut her off with a swift hug. He pushed his body as close to hers as he could get and squeezed hard enough she swore she could feel his rapid beating heart.

"Please… _Please."_ Jason begged in her ear. "Please don't do this. I couldn't _be_ without you. I love you."

Piper let herself enjoy the embrace for a few seconds before slowly pushing him away. She shook her head slowly and reached up to cup his cheek.

"I know you do." She mumbled. "I love you too but this is becoming too hard Jason. I have to watch you cozy up to other girls every day and listen to you insult me. You let Leo throw a smoothie in my face today."

Piper hadn't realized a tear had escaped her eye until Jason slowly wiped it away. She quickly pushed back all her tears and took a breath. She wouldn't cry in front of him; she couldn't if she was actually going to do this.

"You know why we have to hide." Jason reminded her gently. Piper bit her lip and shook her head again. She took a step backwards; she was now closer to the door. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Yeah I know." She snapped. "You don't want your rep ruined because of the nerd."

"Piper you know you'd be eaten alive by cheerleaders if everyone knew. I'm just trying to protect you. We've been together for almost a year. It's never bothered you before now."

"Of course it has!" Piper shouted annoyed; her hands flew into the air as Jason tried to shush her. "It's bothered me from day _one!_ I wanted to be with you so badly I overlooked it and now…Now I just want to stop hiding. I feel pathetic Jason. I can't even tell my best friends about you, I can't even tell my parents! How can you tell me you love me when you're ashamed of what we have?"

Jason stared at her as he tried to think of something to say. He's never been ashamed of her, of _them,_ but he knows how high school works. They could never be together openingly without being tormented and humiliated. She would be miserable and it'd be his fault. Jason was selfish. He knew he could easily mend this crack and assure her of his love by simply walking out of the closet holding her hand but he couldn't ruin their lives that way.

Piper nodded understandingly as she rolled her shoulders in annoyance. Jason could tell she was masking her hurt with anger. She bit her lip from saying anything else and quickly turned to the door. Jason took a step to stop her.

"Piper-"

"No." Piper whispered behind her. "I get it, _really_ I do. You can't ruin you're high school lifestyle because of me."

"I can't lose you." Jason told her honestly as he reached for her hand. Piper tensed in his grasp. "Tell your dad and grandfather about me; I'll even come over for dinner."

"Really?" Piper asked disbelievingly. Jason smiled softly and nodded. The tangled knot in Piper's stomach loosened slightly and she sighed as he hugged her. She still felt used and hurt but for now she'd take what she could get. Piper plastered a relived smile on her face as Jason pulled away. The bell rang loudly in her ears and she barely noticed when Jason kissed her.

"Just text me to let me know when I can come over." Jason told her in a rush as he left the closet. She lowered herself to the floor and stared at the mop bucket. She had to wait another minute before she left. Piper's shoulders slumped as she counted the seconds.

When she slipped out of the closet she didn't even blink when she passed Jason and his two cheerleaders.

0~0~0~0~0

Nico hurriedly rushed down the halls in order to catch Annabeth before she left. School had gotten out ten minutes before and he was in desperate need of a ride. The football players littered the hall and Nico was careful to stay out of their way. He didn't need a repeat of this morning; he didn't have a spare jacket on him today.

He side stepped a few freshman and peaked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. When he noticed Annabeth wasn't at her locker, he cursed to himself. He figured she rushed home as soon as the final bell rang to record her song. He was proud of her but dammit he needed her here! He shrugged his backpack higher on his shoulder and grumbled to himself when he started to walk again. He would just head to Annabeth's anyway. Her house was a closer walk, her mother loved him and would most certainly feed him and staying away from his house a few more hours wouldn't hurt.

A few years ago, Nico wouldn't even dream of coming home late. His sister would leave for work right after she got out of school so Nico was in charge of rushing home to make sure things were still okay. He would come home and the house would smell of rotten food and booze. The place would be trashed and his old man would most likely be passed out on a chair, a loose bottle about to fall from his fingertips. The only light in that dark place was his sister Bianca; his savior. She took care of him. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met; inside and out.

She had taken care of him and protected him from having to watch their father's plummet into his depression. They had lost their mother when they were young to a house fire and ever since then, their father became worse. He was never violent towards them; he _did_ love them but in his drunken ramblings he would mumble about how they both look like their mom and how _hard_ it was to look at them.

Everything was manageable until Nico hit seventh grade. Everything had been normal. Nico was cleaning up the dark living room as his father slept in the arm chair. Nico remembers feeling off because he noticed Bianca was a few minutes late getting home. She had promised to pick up some pizzas on her way home from work so he assumed that was the hold up. When an hour went by and there was still no sign of her, Nico began to worry. He remembers how clammy his hands felt as he rubbed them together nervously. The sky was growing dark so he couldn't just go out and look for her and his father was too drunk to even stand, let alone drive.

He nervously called friends to see if maybe she had stopped by to visit and forgot to mention it to him but no one had seen her. Nico was seconds away from having a panic attack when someone knocked on the door. He rushed to open it, thinking it was weird that Bianca was knocking when she had a key, but froze when he saw a police officer standing under their porch.

Nico still doesn't remember exactly what the officer had said after the words "fatal accident." He remembers how the hurt came instantly and how he had to drop to his knees because he felt like his heart was exploding in his chest, sending pieces into his lungs. She hadn't been at fault; she was just going to make the final left turn to get home and someone had hit her. She was only sixteen…She was his whole world and she was gone in the blink of an eye.

Nico quickly shook his head and rushed out the main doors. Students were still lingering in the parking lot but he could still clearly see Annabeth and Piper waiting patiently for him in Annabeth's car. Piper was glancing around, probably looking for him and Annabeth was scribbling away in her journal. He smirked and waved when Piper noticed him. After tossing his back pack into the trunk, he got into the back seat. Annabeth started up the car and smiled at him in the rearview mirror.

"You thought I forgot you." She accused lightly. Nico shrugged and cracked his knuckles.

"Maybe." He acknowledged with a shrug. He leaned forward so his face was in between his two best friends. " _So…._ What'd your mom make for dinner?"

0~0~0~0~0

Annabeth curled her feet under her as she sat down next to Piper on the basement couch. Her mother never came down here and after Annabeth's older brother had moved out, she quickly took the place over. It didn't have an overhead light but several lamps were placed around the room, giving it a soft glow at night. During the day, the window on the door leading outside gave it enough light.

Annabeth had wanted to convert the basement into a music room or maybe just a place to record her songs but Nico and Piper had convinced her they needed a hangout space, just for them. So the summer before they all hit high school, the three of them got to work. They moved a spare couch into the middle of the room and Piper's dad gave them his old TV when he bought a new one. Nico brought over his PS3 so they could watch Netflix and Annabeth moved the washer and dryer upstairs and placed a refrigerator in its place. They all painted the walls a soft teal color.

Annabeth did get a small space just for her music though. The small backroom was converted into a music room. It was just a place to store her instruments and record her songs to put on YouTube but it was _hers._

Nico had already dozed off in his recliner in the corner of the room, a blanket draped over him. Piper's eyes were slowly drooping as she struggled to focus on the show playing on the TV. Annabeth smiled as contentment flooded through her core. She quietly got off the couch to grab another blanket for Piper. She walked up the basement stairs to inform her mother that her friends were going to spend the night when she heard a soft voice from the kitchen. Annabeth grinned.

" _Come stop your crying, it'll be alright."_ Her mother sang softly as she grabbed another dish. _"Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don't you cry."_

When Fredrick Chase had abandoned his family years ago for a younger woman, Athena was a mess. Her two children didn't know what to do to comfort her; Malcolm was nine and Annabeth was only seven years old. One night after Athena had tucked in both the kids, she had crept downstairs to cry on the couch. Annabeth had heard her sobs and slipped out of bed to be with her. Annabeth remembers how broken she felt seeing the strongest woman she ever met sob over her dad. She did the first thing that came to mind; she sang.

Annabeth had watched _Tarzan_ over a million times because it was the only Disney movie her brother would watch with her. She knew all the lyrics. When Athena had heard her, she stopped crying to laugh and kiss her daughter. From that moment on, it became their song and they sang it to each other whenever the other was having a hard time.

Annabeth crept up behind her mom and surprised her when she cut her off to sing.

" _For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm."_ With a small smile Annabeth extended her arms out to her mother and Athena laughed before pulling her into a tight embrace. Annabeth sighed as she inhaled her mother's comforting lemon scent. They sang the rest together softly.

" _This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry! Cause you'll be in my heart; yes you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more…You'll be in my heart; no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart…always."_

Athena sighed and kissed Annabeth's hair lightly. Annabeth smiled as they pulled away and her mom tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I love hearing you sing." Athena told her lovingly before turning back around to finish the dishes. "I wish your school had a club or group where you could really show off your voice."

Annabeth froze as she let those words sink in. Her eyebrows furrowed in wonder as she slowly formed a plan. She knew the perfect way to do this; she was determined.

"You know Mom…" Annabeth mused with a grin. "It really should."

* * *

 **Headcanons:**

 **~Annabeth and Nico used to teasingly fight about their mutual crush on Percy until Nico decided that while Percy was nice to look at so were plenty of other boys and let Annabeth call unrealistic dibs. (He promised himself he would buy her a new song journal when Percy chose him anyway)**

 **~Annabeth almost caught Piper and Jason in her bedroom about a month after they started their secret relationship. Jason had hidden in the closet in time but Piper had to lie and say she has an imaginary friend when Annabeth said she had heard her talking to someone. Annabeth still hasn't forgotten about it.**

 **~Annabeth realized her friends were there to stay when she was gone for two days and came home to find them both fast asleep in her basement. Neither had left when she did and had simply made themselves at home. Her mother now buys their favorite snacks when they go shopping and keeps the fridge stocked with them in preparation for when Piper and Nico come over.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Edit: I haven't changed anything about the first two chapters as I didn't want to go back and read them again to change the story completely so if some things are different after this chapter don't be too surprised.**

* * *

Percy sighed as he walked into the crowded halls of Goode high school. Today was Friday which meant everyone was in good spirits for tonight's football game. Jason and Leo were walking at his sides, sandwiching him between them, and grinning as they lapped up all the attention. Percy felt his mood dampen as he became more and more crowded within a group of people; everyone wanted the chance to talk to him on Fridays. He nodded absently to something one of his players said, not realizing he just agreed to attend a party that weekend. Jason would probably drag him there anyway.

He had just gotten through the main hallway when he noticed her. He always felt guilty when they crossed paths; he wondered if she noticed. Her blonde curls were pulled into a messy ponytail and she laughed sweetly at something Piper had said. He hadn't really payed attention to her before but her words from their last encounter made his chest hurt. Percy tried not to stare too long in fear his friends would notice.

Leo and Jason both caught his gaze and while Jason went silent, Leo cackled.

"Hey man, wanna mess with them again?" Leo asked excitedly. His palms were already rubbing together and Percy immediately thought of him as a bad TV show villain. Plus he still felt bad. They had thrown smoothies in Annabel's face only a few days ago. It wasn't fair to do it again so quickly; especially not when she looked that happy.

"Nah." Percy dismissed breathlessly. Jason glanced over at him but said nothing. Leo pouted for a second before huffing and jogging over to them anyway. Percy grimaced and held in a groan as he followed him.

When they got closer, Percy noticed Annabel was holding a handful of flyers while Piper and their weird Goth friend held the tape and tacks for her. He remembered seeing her doing mundane tasks like that all last year too; she was pretty heavily involved with the school's Leadership and ASB. She had just finished putting up another flyer on the wall when Leo made it to them.

"Hey nerds!" Leo cheered. Piper rolled her eyes but Annabel went silent. Percy was surprised however when her grey eyes grew hard. Her glare was trained on Leo but a shiver went down Percy's spine at the sight of it. Leo paused for a second before sneering at her.

"What's your problem Anna _bleh?"_

Once again remembering her words from a few days before, Percy sighed and placed his hand on Leo's shoulder to grab his attention. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, some of the kids in the hall had stopped to watch the exchange.

"Hey man, c'mon just leave her alone."

Leo turned to glare at him while Annabel just stared at him in disbelief. Percy didn't understand; isn't this what she wanted? She asked him why he didn't help her; he was helping her now and she decides the best reaction is to look like he had three heads?

"Yeah!" Piper cheered. Percy heard Jason curse under his breath. "If you're going to give her trouble, use her actual name. Anna _beth_ Chase doesn't need to take your crap."

Percy froze and felt his blood run cold. He caught the look Piper sent him and immediately knew her comment was for him. He had been going to school with her for three years and thought her name was Annabel! He had even called her that to her face a few days ago! Why hadn't she corrected him? Did she and he just never heard? Shaking off his embarrassment, Percy quickly tugged on Leo's shoulder again until he finally turned around. After a quick look to Jason, Leo was being led down the hall. Most of the kids that had gathered to watch the exchange followed them.

Annabeth shifted on her feet and held the flyers closer to her chest while Percy stared at her awkwardly. Unable to help himself he reached up to rub the back of his head. Piper cleared her throat and quickly grabbed their friend's arm. Percy made a mental note with himself to learn his name.

"Um…Nico and I are going to go get more tape from the office okay Annabeth? We'll be back."

Annabeth looked at her strangely and her eyes drifted down to the full mask of tape in Piper's hand before looking back up to meet her friend's eyes. Piper smiled sheepishly and just dragged Nico down the hall despite his complaints. Percy chuckled almost bashfully while Annabeth tried to look at anything other than him. He gestured to the flyers she was holding.

"What are the flyers for?"

Annabeth seemed surprised he had actually said anything to her but wordlessly pointed to the wall right above her head. Percy glanced over.

 **Goode High School Talent Show!**

 **Friday, September 23** **rd** **in the gym.**

 **Participants need to speak with Mr. Blofis by the 16** **th** **if they want to enter.**

 **Show the talent!**

"Oh cool. A talent show huh?" Percy asked with wide eyes. He's never really seen one, either because they ran on a practice or game day or he had simply ditched. After glancing at the flyer once more, he shrugged. It was next week. "Anyone interesting competing?"

Annabeth bit her lip shyly and Percy smiled at her. With that small encouragement Annabeth shrugged and glanced up at him.

"W-well I know Rachel is going to sing something."

Percy nodded in understanding. Rachel Dare was known around the school for her amazing painting abilities and her even better singing. The principle had asked her freshman year to paint all around the gym walls and it took her until the end of sophomore year to actually finish but it looks great. Percy had heard her singing voice during the Christmas parade last year and could admit he was impressed.

"Wow that's gonna be hard to beat." He commented dismissively. When he noticed Annabeth's small smile crumble, he instantly regretted his words. "What is it? What did I say?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something then seemingly decided against it. She shook her head and gestured down to her flyers.

"I have to finish putting these up before free period is over. I don't want to miss English."

"Oh hey we have that class together don't we?"

Annabeth blushed lightly but nodded sheepishly. Her right arm crossed over her chest to grip her left forearm. Percy couldn't help but think she looked cute when she was nervous.

"I didn't think you would notice." She confessed. "Not a lot of people notice I'm in that class."

"Well…I know you're there and that's something right?"

Annabeth flushed again and Percy chuckled. He was used to girls blushing when they were around him but seeing someone do it out of embarrassment instead of fawning at him was refreshing. A stab of guilt hit him when he remembered all he's witnessed happened to her. He wasn't any better than his friends when they bullied her because he hadn't done anything to stop it until now. Feeling sheepish himself, Percy reached up to rub the back of his head.

"Hey I want to apologize." Annabeth stared at him but stayed silent. "I know my friends are jerks and I'm not really much better but I really did want to say something anytime they were messing with you and your friends. I don't know _why_ they like to bully you but I should have made them stop before today. So…you know I'm sorry."

Percy mentally winced at how awkward he sounded but Annabeth smiled at him timidly and the feeling quickly vanished. She cleared her throat and extended her hand towards him. Percy stared at it for a second.

"I appreciate your apology." Annabeth informed him. Percy didn't know if that meant she forgave him but he let her continue. "So I was thinking we could have a fresh start. We've never been fully introduced to each other…Hi my name is Anna _beth_ Chase."

Percy was sure she put emphasis on the second part of her name so he would stop calling her Annabel. Another round of embarrassment colored his cheeks but he gently took her hand and shook it and grinned.

"Hi Annabeth, I'm Percy Jackson."

Annabeth smiled at him again and Percy found his own smile widening. He knew if his friends could see him now, they would freak out but he didn't care. He didn't know why they alienated people like Annabeth anyway. She seemed nice and her whole personality seemed endearing. Annabeth flushed a dark shade of red when she glanced down at their hands and she quickly pulled her hand out of his, making him chuckle.

For a few seconds neither one of them said anything and Percy found himself moving just a little closer. Right when he opened his mouth to say something witty, someone crashed to the floor beside them. Both Annabeth and Percy jumped and turned to the sound only to see Nico grinning up at them nervously from the floor while Piper peaked from behind the corner. Annabeth flushed in embarrassment, presumably knowing her friends were listening to their conversation but ultimately snorted at the sight. Percy laughed at the scene and shook his head.

"Well I should go." He said turning back to Annabeth. She nodded and smiled at him quickly before rushing towards her friends. Percy bit his lip to hide a smile and turned to walk down the hall. Before he turned to get to his class, he couldn't help himself from taking one last look. Annabeth was blushing as Piper and Nico began talking to her. She was in the middle of helping Nico up off the floor but froze when he mumbled something to her. Percy snickered when Annabeth shrieked and dropped his hand, causing him to once again fall to the floor. He smiled as he walked into class and whispered to himself.

"…Annabeth Chase huh?"

0~0~0~0~0

Annabeth bit her lip and pressed her palm flat across her chest to try and control her heartbeat. She was sure Piper and Nico could hear it and a small part of her was worried it was going to try and jump out of her chest. Once Nico was back on his feet, he glared at the two girls.

"What the hell guys?" He shrieked annoyed. Piper rolled her eyes and shoved him aside so she could be face to face with Annabeth. Her eyes were wide in curiosity.

"So?" She questioned. Annabeth flushed and shook her head. Her grip on the flyers tightened.

"Why would you just leave me like that?" Annabeth asked her flustered. "That was the most embarrassing thing ever!"

"Why?"

" _Why?"_ Annabeth shrieked. "You two left me alone with Percy Jackson!"

"Oh no!" Piper gasped with a giggle. "He could have gripped your hand too tightly or smiled you to death!"

Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms. She knew she could be genuinely scary when she was angry but when Piper chuckled at her, she figured she wasn't pulling it off today.

"C'mon Annabeth it's just Percy. If his asshole friends were around, it would have been a different story. You know how I feel about those idiot jocks but I can even admit Percy isn't a bad guy."

"Did you see her face though?" Nico snickered. "She was beet red. You could have roasted marshmallows on her cheeks."

"Shut up." Annabeth snapped weakly. Nico just snickered again. She sighed and lifted a hand to try and cool down her cheeks as quickly as possible. The cool skin felt nice against her flaming cheeks. "It was just embarrassing okay? That was one of the first real conversations he and I have ever had."

"It was the only conversation you two have ever had." Nico chimed in. Piper laughed quickly but shook her head when she noticed Annabeth steadily getting more worked up. Placing her hands up, she decided to give up the teasing and settled for wrapping her arm around Annabeth's shoulder so she could be led to class.

0~0~0~0~0

Jason sighed as leaned back in his seat. He wasn't proud of moments like these but he couldn't help himself. He was parked outside of the Olympus café, only a few cars down from Piper's rusty truck. He sat low in his seat so he wouldn't be seen easily but he still had the view of inside. Jason smiled to himself as he watched Piper and Annabeth giggle behind the counter as Nico tried to make a tower of straws.

Jason was one of the only people who knew Piper was loaded. While he has never met her father or grandpa, he's been inside their house when they weren't home so he could fool around with his girlfriend. He hadn't believed her when she told him where she lived; she didn't seem like the rich type so he was genuinely surprised when he learned that she _did_ in fact live in that mansion and her father was famous actor Tristan McLean. She had told everyone that the name was common and she wasn't related. Jason almost shit himself because it changed the ball game completely.

He knew she hated it and he did too but they absolutely had to keep their relationship a secret. If people found out about them, the popular kids would tear Piper apart. She was the most emotionally strong person Jason had ever met but everyone had their limit. Plus if girls at school knew about her financial status, she would have a horde of bitches trying to be her best friend for her money. Piper wasn't like that.

Jason admired her. She didn't flaunt her money; in fact most people think she's poor. Piper drives the crappiest truck, rust and all. She works at the café during the week and her weekends were normally packed with petty jobs like babysitting or housesitting for neighboring families. He admired her for keeping a high GPA with all her spare time constantly filled with something to do but he didn't understand why she was working so hard when she was practically bathing in money. He never asked.

Jason's family was different. He wasn't broke but he knew his Dad was struggling to stay afloat. He doesn't really remember his Mom or his sister. His memory is foggy; his Dad had told him that during the divorce, Jason's Mom had taken his sister and disappeared the next day. Neither has heard from either of them since then. Jason wasn't too concerned with finding her either; she's the one that left them, she could stay gone.

That's why Jason worked so hard in football and basketball; he needed those scholarships. If Percy wasn't his best friend, Jason could see resenting him. While he can be socially awkward and a bit clumsy in the halls, he seemed to become a different person on the football field or in a pool. It seemed unfair that he was so naturally good when Jason had to train for hours just to stay second best.

Shaking his head of his thoughts and pushing them to the back of his mind, Jason glanced back at the café again until he saw Piper. She was carrying two plates of food which she gracefully set on the counter for and elderly couple. When she smiled at them sweetly, Jason's own smile formed. He'd never get tired of seeing that smile.

His phone buzzed and Jason sighed realizing his time was up. He was going to need to be on the field in fifteen minutes; just enough time to get him back to the school and change for the game. He adjusted his seat back into an upright position and left the parking lot never noticing a pair of amused eyes watching from behind her counter.

0~0~0~0~0

Leo cracked his knuckles before shaking them to rid himself of nerves. He never voiced it to anyone but he always got nervous before games despite trusting his skill. He ran a hand through his dark hair before walking around the lockers to face Percy and Jason. Jason had just rushed in moments before and was still in the process of undressing. Percy had his football pants on but was searching through his locker shirtless. Leo ignored the both of them and opened his own gym locker. He grinned when he saw his favorite two pictures. On the top left, a picture of his mom and his little sister Mae were smiling back at him and just below it…

"You know Calypso would freak out if she knew you had that right?" Percy asked with a hint of amusement. "How did you even get that anyway?"

"Printed it from the yearbook."

Jason snorted as he wiggled to pull up his football pants.

" _Creepy."_ He sang teasingly. Leo scoffed and slammed his locker shut after grabbing his pads.

"What do you know?" He snapped embarrassed. "It brings me luck okay?"

"Still doesn't change the fact Ol' Callie will beat you senseless when she finds it. You know she can't stand you." Jason informed him with a snicker. Leo noticed Percy trying to hold back a smile.

"Nah, she can't resist me. She'd be flattered to know I have that picture." Leo boosted. His two friends shared a look before staring back at him.

"Then why haven't you told her you have it?" Percy asked dryly. Leo felt his confident grin fade and he turned to hide his nervous expression.

"No reason." He choked. Jason laughed behind him. Their coach Mr. D walked around lockers until he was facing the trio. Leo was sure they were the last to get ready. His scowl confirmed Leo's suspicions.

"Jackson, Grace and Velez! Well I'm not surprised. Did you three forget we have a game in five minutes? Or do you just prefer to stand around half naked?"

"Well now that you mention it Mr. D, I actually find the cold air on my nipples quite soothing." Leo said cheekily, a hand reaching up to rub his chest. Mr. D trained his glare on him but Leo continued to smirk.

"Velez, ten extra laps at practice Monday." He snapped. Leo nodded and put on his pads, noticing Jason and Percy were already dressed, minus their helmets. He was too busy rubbing his nipples to notice his friends getting dressed. Leo shuttered; he never thought he'd be able to say that.

"Fine by me Coach! The cheerleaders practice outside on Mondays." Leo wiggled his eyebrows and Mr. D sighed loudly in annoyance before turning to walk away.

"I want you outside in two minutes!" He hollered behind him. Leo hurried to finish putting his uniform on. When all three boys were dressed and ready to put on their helmets, they shared a smile. Percy put his closed fist in-between the three of them just like they all knew he would. They had been doing this tradition for years; ever since kiddie football summer camp. Leo placed his fist on top of Percy's and Jason placed his on top of Leo's. Percy grinned.

"Ready boys?" He asked, glancing at the two of them. Leo nodded.

"Whenever you are Captain."

Percy laughed and on the count of three their fists went into the air and they all made dorky explosion noises. After their chuckles died down, they hurried to exit the locker room. Mr. D didn't stop at laps; they didn't want to be the target of his rage.

When Leo ran out onto the field beside his team, he felt something in his chest stir. He always loved this feeling. The grass was flattening beneath their thundering steps, the crowd was cheering loudly, their screams echoing throughout the small town no doubt, and the cheerleaders were bouncing around in excited dances. Once he saw his favorite one, he winked. She must have seen it through his helmet because she rolled her eyes. Leo grinned to himself. She looked exactly like her picture when she was in uniform. Leo shook his head in amusement at his private joke and followed Percy and Jason to the middle of the field so the coin toss could be issued.

Game on.

0~0~0~0~0

When Percy ripped off his helmet, he grinned as he panted to catch his breath. Leo had caught the winning ball and saved the team with his touch down. Percy rolled his arm and thanked the gods he hadn't thrown it out when he threw that ball. The crowd was still excited and screaming as the cheerleaders did their ending victory cheer. The overall atmosphere was exhilarating.

When he turned towards the stand, he saw his Mom in her usual spot. Her smile widened when their eyes met and she flashed him a thumbs up, making him chuckle. She always made it her mission to attend all of his games and swim meets, he does so well because he knows she's there watching. His eyes drifted towards the gated fence surrounding the field and widened in interest when he noticed Annabeth struggling to put her blonde curls into a ponytail. Nico and Piper were on either side of her but Percy didn't notice either as he jogged towards them. Annabeth didn't seem to notice him until he was right in front of her; she jerked back in surprise when the fence rattled when he gripped it.

"Hey!" Percy greeted cheerfully. "I didn't know you came to football games!"

"It seems that this field is the place to be Friday night." Piper chimed in. Percy blinked over at her in surprise. He hadn't noticed she was there. "This place is crazy; everyone is way too excited."

"It's just the atmosphere. Anytime you think of high school, you think of football." Percy told her with a small smile. He quickly turned back to face Annabeth and chuckled when he noticed she had shifted a few steps back from the fence and away from him.

"Afraid of me?" He teased. Annabeth smiled softly but shook her head and pointed to his.

"You're just very sweaty."

Percy laughed and shook his dark hair, knowing his sweat would splatter everywhere like a wet dog. All three friends shrieked.

"Down boy!" Nico called, his hands raised to dodge the gross bullets. Percy chuckled but stopped to run a hand through his hair to push it away from his face. Annabeth's cheeks were flushed once more but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold air or embarrassment.

"You know, I wish I would have known you came to football games." Percy told the blonde beauty as he leaned a little closer. "I would have done a little more to try and catch your eye."

"That's okay." Annabeth whispered. She only met his gaze for a few seconds before shrugging shyly and looking towards the ground where her feet were shifting nervously. "You caught my eye plenty of times."

Percy grinned widely and didn't pay any mind when he heard Piper and Nico snort. He wanted to say more; he wanted _her_ to say more but the chance was taken from him. All his teammates were rushing past him and a few cheerleaders were approaching. Piper and Nico took a few steps back and Piper grabbed Annabeth's arm so she would do the same. Percy sighed and glanced behind him when he heard Calypso calling for him, Leo and Jason standing next to her. He felt like the fence was dividing him from something he would much rather be a part of and instead he was stuck with what was left on this side.

"We need to go." Annabeth told him quickly, her gaze flickering to his friends. "But I'll see you Monday."

Percy nodded and Annabeth gave him one final wave before she disappeared in the crowd with her friends. Percy jumped when Jason's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Ready to celebrate man?" He cheered loudly. Percy already knew his friends were planning to drag him to another party. He held back a sigh and smiled to turn back towards the field and away from the crowd and the interesting people hiding in it.

"Always!"

Percy didn't think Monday could come soon enough.

* * *

 **Headcanons:**

 **~Percy always goes to those popular parties only to ditch out about halfway through. He'll either go to Jason's (if he sneaks out with him) or go home and watch late night movies with his mom.**

 **~Jason always has to excuse himself from his friends whenever they have a run in with Piper. He'll either sneak off to go calm her down (worried she'll work herself up so much, she'll go off and punch one of them) or kiss her because she's too adorable (he can admit he thinks she's cute when she's worked up and mad)**

 **~Leo has had a secret picture of Calypso since seventh grade. It originally started out as a joke to annoy her but now he's convinced he'll play badly if he doesn't see her picture before each game.**


	3. Chapter 3

**1\27\17: Okay so this is the newest chapter I've done and hopefully it's up to standards because I haven't written stuff like this in a while. I'm liking writing just our characters in light situations. If you follow Saudade you'll know why I need a light hearted story like this one.**

 **I'm planning to write the much awaited talent show probably the next chapter and hopefully kick start the music part of this entire story.**

 **Be warned that that is when the singing is really gonna start.**

 **High school man.**

 **Oh god I'm out-awkwarding myself.**

 **Okay we'll just go into the chapter now.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

Piper ran a hand through her dark hair as she pushed open Annabeth's front door. As usual, the smell of Athena's pancakes and bacon floated through the air and made her sigh in pure bliss. Ever since Annabeth's older brother moved out, Athena had started making the three of them breakfast in the morning before she went to work. Piper was sure it was a way to ensure the three of them would wake up early enough to see her off and make sure she wouldn't be lonely before she went to work but the pancakes were so good it simply became a tradition. Piper never judged her because she could understand better than anyone what it felt like to feel lonely. Athena was happy and the three of them were always well fed; Piper liked spending time with Annabeth's mom.

She could hear Annabeth and Nico laughing as she practically glided to the kitchen. All three of them smiled at her as she sat down in her usual chair next to Annabeth. Athena simply placed a plate in front of her and kissed her forehead before turning back to the stove. Annabeth poked her with a pencil before turning back to the assignment in front of her.

"Where were you at all weekend?" She asked curiously. "Nico and I stopped by your house Saturday to see if you wanted to see a movie with us and your grandfather told us you weren't home."

"Ah I went to that dance class." Piper sighed as she stood up to grab a water bottle from the fridge. She always got thirsty whenever she ate pancakes. She took a quick sip. "Jeff and Lindy didn't need me to babysit Michael that night and I've been wanting to try it out."

"But you're a great dancer already." Nico reminded her. "Didn't you win that talent show in fifth grade for your dancing?"

"Oh no I didn't _take_ the class!" Piper laughed modestly. "I _taught_ it. The director there offered me a class slot for Thursday nights if I wanted it. I'm thinking about taking him up on it."

Nico laughed breathlessly and stuck a large forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

"Jesus Piper. Aren't you busy enough as is?"

"It's good to keep busy!" Piper defended herself meekly. She sighed and took a bite of her own pancakes. "Anything to keep me out of that big house. It's too lonely there by myself; too many empty rooms."

Annabeth continued to scribble across her notebook page as she ate. Normally Piper was the one to try and hurriedly finish her homework the morning it was due. Annabeth was the type to have homework done days in advance. Piper poked her this time.

"What's up with you? You didn't do your homework? That's not like you."

"I stayed up too late recording and forgot about it."

Piper rolled her eyes affectionately. Annabeth was easily one of the smartest kids in school but when she was on a roll with a song, she easily forgot about homework that might be due. Piper glanced down and noticed it was an English paper. Jason had mentioned it over the weekend when she had snuck out to see him Friday night. It was due today.

"Well if that's the English paper that's due today, _I_ don't have anything to worry about."

"Hey Pipes, did you do last night's math questions?" Nico asked quietly, a knowing smile on his face. "I need help with number four."

"… _Crap."_

0~0~0~0~0

Annabeth bit her lip as she furiously ran her pencil across the page. She was jeopardizing her beautiful penmanship in order to make it to class on time. Just as she began to write her conclusion, she walked through her classroom doorway and crashed into someone walking out. Annabeth let out a small squeak of surprise and dropped both her notebook and pencil to the floor. When she looked up and found Jason staring back at her, she held her breath and waited for whatever he was going to say. People even stopped walking to watch; the bell rang and no one moved. Jason continued to stare at her for a moment longer before shrugging and brushing past her.

"I would have thought a nerd like you would have all your homework done the second it was assigned."

Hurtful, but barely.

Annabeth watched him walk down the hall with furrowed eyebrows before bending down to pick up her assignment. When the final bell went off again, she cursed lightly and continued to scribble on the page again as she walked into class.

Taking her usual seat, towards the far end of the room, Annabeth barely looked at anyone as she passed. She dropped her page onto the floor and let out a silent _hallelujah_ when she was finally able to write on the hard surface of her desk. Finally finishing her essay, Annabeth smiled to herself and slapped her pencil on her desk before ripping out the page and displaying it proudly on her desk for the teacher to see.

More students trickled into class, though they were late, the teacher was too busy on his phone to notice. Annabeth pulled out her own phone and glanced at the date. The talent show was only a week away and she had finished recording her song over the weekend. This had to be it; it just _had_ to be. She had been waiting for years for the right moment to truly perform on stage and here she was only _days_ away from living that dream. She felt terrified but ready; the perfect combination of confidence and utter fear.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, snapping her out of her daydream.

 _Nico: Heard Jason didn't ruin your shirt today when you bumped into him. How interesting._

Annabeth leaned back away from her phone in surprise before suspiciously looking around. She half expected Nico to pop out from behind one of the desks…or have a hidden camera somewhere on her so he could be in the loop about everything that happened during her day. If he did have something like that, both she and Piper would have to check their outfits.

 _Annabeth: How did you hear about that? It literally happened minutes ago!_

 _Nico: This is HIGH SCHOOL Annabeth. News travels as fast as lightning. Don't you find it weird? I mean not even a week ago, the guy was throwing smoothies in our faces._

 _Annabeth: And here I was worried you had a secret camera planted somewhere on me ;) I don't know Nico. It's Monday, maybe he's too tired to start anything?_

 _Nico: Oh I do but I'm glad you haven't found it yet :D And c'mon you're supposed to be the genius! Something like that wouldn't stop him. Bullies don't get tired of being mean._

 _Annabeth: I'm going to warn Piper about your spying ways! And whatever the reason, I'm glad. Maybe I'm the one that's tired of all of this. Things have to change sometime right? Maybe this is the turning point for us._

After a few minutes of no response, Annabeth could only assume Nico's class had started. Glancing at the clock, she realized her class should have started around 10 minutes ago. She sighed and placed her chin in her palm as she waited. She didn't spend all morning rushing on a paper for nothing!

When the door opened and Percy and Leo walked in, Annabeth held her breath and quickly adverted her gaze back to her paper as if she was reading it. She desperately tried to focus on the words she had hastily written on the paper but she could smell that amazing ocean smell he always seemed to carry with him and it was making her brain go dizzy.

"Sorry we're late." Percy apologized quickly. "Coach was-"

"He doesn't care Perce." Leo cut him off. "We're here now so you can start the class."

Annabeth glanced up briefly to see the teacher roll his eyes but stand up. Leo walked to his seat in the back and grinned when two girls giggled beside him. Annabeth bit her lip to force herself to keep her eyes forward but felt someone sit down behind her. That beautiful ocean smell invaded her nose and confirmed her fears. She practically shrieked when she felt an eraser poke her back. Just as their teacher began to start the class and collect the essays they had written Annabeth slowly turned around.

 _Dangerous waters Chase._ She warned herself. _Just see what he wants and calmly turn back around-_

Her mind went blank momentarily.

 _Oh Gods, he's gorgeous. How could I forget he's gorgeous?_

Percy grinned boyishly as their eyes met and Annabeth found herself grinning back as her entire body slumped forward.

"Hey." Percy whispered with another grin. "I remembered you were in this class with me and thought I'd say hi this time around."

"Hi." Annabeth whispered back. A charmed sigh broke through her lips and made her back stiffen as she remembered who he was; who she was and _how bad an idea this was-_

"Hey, Perce!" Leo called out from the back of the class, effectively breaking them both from their trance. "You coming or not? Your seat's saved."

Percy stared back at Leo for another moment before looking at her guiltily. Annabeth couldn't fathom why and didn't let her mind wander on the possibilities. She simply smiled at him awkwardly and spun back around in her chair. She bit her lip again to hide her disappointment when she heard his chair scrape against the floor as he got up.

0~0~0~0~0

 _I ran away from the pain, always breaking down inside, incomplete, but now I see. This won't be the end of me._

Nico nodded along to the music as Annabeth wiped the counter next to him. The paper sat blankly in front of him and he continuously tapped his pencil against the counter as he struggled to think of something to write. He popped out one ear bud when Annabeth placed her elbows on the counter in front of him to meet his eye. She smiled sympathetically.

"Is the introduction essay isn't it?"

Nico only sighed. Annabeth smiled knowingly and reached over to pat his shoulder before turning around and grabbing his usual strawberry shake to cheer him up. The café was still fairly empty and whenever she didn't have anyone new to serve, Annabeth would always make sure she had a shake handy for him.

He hated new school years. Every year _–without fail—_ his English teacher would ask everyone to write an introductory essay on themselves so he\she could get to know them better as students and every year Nico struggled with what to write. He tried just ditching the assignment all together as he didn't like to talk about himself or his past but Annabeth insisted he try every year. Apparently not doing the first real assignment sets a 'bad image' or whatever.

"I can't tell the truth." Nico almost whined. "Something that personal? No way in hell am I writing it in a stupid essay. I don't need an A that badly."

Annabeth quietly turned to grab the burger for the man sitting a few seats down from him. After returning from serving him, she wiped her hands on her apron and took a small sip of his drink.

"So many don't write the personal stuff." She suggested lightly. "There are things about you that a lot of people can know just by looking at you and there are things about you that no one knows. You can mention you sing with me or play the drums sometimes or how you practically live in my basement."

"My whole paper will just be about you if I do that."

"Well I _am_ an interesting topic." Annabeth joked. Nico rolled his eyes and poked her. She shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Teachers don't really care about essays like that. Just write your favorite color or movie and say how you want to do well in the class for whatever reason you like. At the end of the day, they just want to make sure you're not going to give them trouble."

"But I am going to give him trouble."

"Well you can _lie_ can't you?"

Nico grinned just as Piper rushed through the doors. The bell above the entrance rang loudly as she practically sprinted towards the counter. Her hair was slightly frizzy and looked like she had ran her hands through it repeatedly. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink as if she had ran here. Both Nico and Annabeth watched with raised eyebrows as she hurriedly tied her apron behind her back. She sighed loudly when she catch them watching her.

"My car craped out on me again." She explained quickly. "I had to run here so I wouldn't be late."

Annabeth winced and checked her watch.

"Should've run about six minutes faster."

Piper gave her a quick look before dashing back into the kitchen to let the cooks know she was here. Nico continued to watch her through the small window the cooks slid food through.

"Have you noticed how often Piper's car breaks down?" He asked curiously. He shrugged and took a quick sip of his drink before writing his first sentence. Annabeth sighed across from him.

"Yeah its awful right?" Annabeth tssked. "Poor girl has to run here whenever it does. Her cheeks looks really flushed today. I'm gonna get her some water and offer her a brush for her hair too."

Nico nodded and went back to his essay as Annabeth greeted a new customer. Neither noticed Piper quietly wipe her lips before walking back out to the counter.

* * *

 **Headcanons:**

 **~Piper and Nico started waking up earlier to get to Annabeth's by the time Athena started making their breakfast. Neither feel right if they start the morning without it.**

 **~Annabeth did later check to make sure none of her clothes were bugged. She didn't find anything (as Piper had predicted when Annabeth had warned her about it) but now she's sure Nico will plant something on her to mess with her.**

 **~When Piper had first started having 'car trouble' Annabeth had joked about the idea of a secret boyfriend. Before Piper herself could deny the _ridiculous_ claim, Nico had laughed and said Piper was too busy to ever get a boyfriend. Piper almost spilled the beans right then and there just to prove Nico wrong. **

_**Now that we're rolling again, its just like Saudade guys. 20 reviews to get a sneak peek of the next chapter.**_

 _ **Let me know if you like the whole headcanon idea or if you prefer the questions!**_


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